


You, Me and a Christmas Tree

by muchmoremajestic



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Pining Steve Rogers, References to Canon, post-Battleworld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28177470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muchmoremajestic/pseuds/muchmoremajestic
Summary: It's their first Christmas after returning from Battleworld, and Steve is afraid.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 13
Kudos: 42
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	You, Me and a Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marumo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marumo/gifts).



> Prompt: Post S3 story, Steve is devastated at losing Tony.

Steve laid in bed, not quite sure what to do with himself. It was the evening, but too early to go to bed. Not that going to bed would make much of a difference anyway - it had been a long time since Steve was able to get a solid night’s rest.

All too often Steve’s dreams would return to the no-tech dimension, the vision of Tony stuck behind in that vivid hell. Nobody knew about the nights he would wake up drenched in sweat, how frequently Steve would catch the sunrise as he spent another night painting or working out alone.

Well maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Steve spent a decent part of the weeks following Tony’s entrapment dodging concerned looks and questions from Sam and Natasha. It had been an incredibly difficult time for Steve. He had been in love with Tony since the day they met, but he had never managed to get out the words to let Tony know how he really felt.

And then to leave Tony behind, not knowing if they’d ever see him again?

It broke Steve’s heart.

And then having the team torn apart again, scattered across time and space, only to then be tossed into the chaos of Battleworld.

But then they found Tony. And now they were home. But being home didn’t prevent Steve from feeling uneasy, from fearing that Tony, as well as the others, would be ripped away from him again at any moment. Steve had yet to confess his true feelings for Tony because it almost felt like it was tempting fate. And he knew that the unease wasn’t just felt by him.

It certainly had been a difficult few months not only for Steve, but for the whole team. This was the first Christmas season since Battleworld. It was now the last weekend before Christmas, and some members of the team had opted for a quick weekend away out of the city, or time with any family or friends. They would all be back for Christmas, as big holidays tended to be an invitation for trouble, so they took some time to themselves now. But today the tower was relatively quiet.

Feeling a bit lonely, Steve finally forced himself out of his room to go seek some company. Yeah, most of the team was gone, but someone else had to be in this big tower, right?

The door to the common room quietly opened, and Steve paused to take in the scene before him. Not there previously, a big fresh Christmas tree was placed in the middle of the living room, undecorated with the exception of red garland wrapped around the tree. Tony, by himself with ornaments and tinsel in hand, stared at the tall tree in front of him. He hadn’t noticed Steve enter the room, or if he had he didn’t acknowledge it. Soft holiday music played from the stereo as a pile of decorations covered the table, waiting to be used.

“Now what are we going to do with you?” Tony said, looking at the ornament with a Black Widow logo on it. “I think you’d be great here,” Tony said as he placed the ornament on an open branch near the window. He then looked at an ornament designed like Steve’s shield, and smiled and put it toward the top of the tree.

Steve cleared his throat. “Uh - need some help?”

Tony turned over his shoulder and smiled. “Oh hi, Cap. Of course you can help! The more the merrier. Figured this would be easier to do without the usual whirlwind of the team around, but I could always use a hand.”

Steve stepped closer and got a better eye at the tree.

“Like it? I figure it’ll be a nice surprise for the rest of the team when they get back.” Tony handed over a box of fake candy canes.

“Tony, it’s beautiful. Where should I start?” Steve asked.

“Oh, wherever you think. You’re an artist. I trust your aesthetic judgment.”

Steve’s cheeks turned a bit pink. “Aww, thanks.” He picked a branch and placed a candy cane down, and began to move around Tony as they proceeded to decorate. Ornaments, bells, and lights. Steve wrapped the string lights around the tree as Tony walked back and forth under Steve’s arms, placing ornaments in spots all around.

“Any idea what you might want for Christmas?” Tony asked. “I know we usually do Secret Santa but after a year like this I’m getting multiple gifts for everyone anyway.”

“Oh I don’t really need anything -”

“Oh come on, there has to be something you really want that you normally would never get yourself.”

 _There is, but I’m afraid I’ll lose it_ , Steve thought to himself. “I guess I’ll think about it.”

They continued around the room, hanging bows and garland, stockings on the wall and big snowflakes on the windows.

“If this team grows any further we’re going to need a bigger mantle,” Tony said, watching Steve delicately try to fasten the last stocking over the fireplace.

Steve laughed, and realized that this time with Tony had been the most relaxed he had been in months. He allowed his thoughts to wander, thinking about what it would be like to cuddle with Tony on the couch Christmas morning, hot chocolate in hand and watching snow fall over the city. _If only I could have that_.

The pair finally ended up back by the doorway to hang the last of the decorations. Green garland went around the doorframe, with Steve and Tony each taping up a corner.

“Ohh, last thing,” Tony said, and hopped over to a box to pull out the last decoration. Green branches and small red berries. “Mistletoe! And it should go right in the center of this doorway.”

Tony reached up, fastened the mistletoe in place and turned back to Steve. “Perfect.”

Steve looked at the mistletoe, and the perfect man underneath it, and couldn’t help but lean forward.

He cupped the side of Tony’s face with one hand as he moved in for the kiss. Their lips met, softly touching at first but as a quiet fear ran through Steve’s head - don’t let him go - Steve pulled Tony in closer to deepen the kiss. Tony let out a small hum as he kissed back, and ran a hand up Steve’s chest as they finally broke apart.

“Wow,” Tony said, looking flustered.

“I don’t need anything for Christmas.”

“I - what?”

“What you asked me, earlier? Tony, I was so scared and so lost when I thought we were never going to see you again. And that I was never going to get to tell you how I truly feel. And the team went through so much and I’m still scared that I could lose any of you, and especially you, Tony. I don’t need anything for Christmas. I already have you back. I don’t need anything else.”

“I - I didn’t realize -” Tony stumbled for words, and Steve felt panic rise in his chest.

“It’s - Tony it’s okay if you don’t feel the same, I’m sorry I just had to -”

“Steve - no - of course - of course I feel the same! Please don’t apologize, just a bit surprised.” Tony smiled and threw his arms around Steve’s neck and kissed Steve back. A huge wave of relief rolled through Steve’s whole body and his knees slightly wobbled.

Tony chuckled. “I felt that. Now don’t you go and pass out on me,” he joked with a wink.

“I’m not, I’m okay,” Steve mumbled, at a loss for words.

“Okay, how about this. You go sit on the couch so you don’t turn to jelly on me, and I’ll go make us some hot cocoa and we can talk about this more?”

Steve, still in shock at what he just did, mindlessly replied, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Steve plopped down on the couch, amazed at his own boldness, still in disbelief. Did he hear that right? Tony felt the same about him? The Tony Stark, the genius, one of the most caring men Steve ever knew, actually had feelings for him too?

“Oh look, it’s snowing!”

Steve snapped out of his thoughts to see a cup of hot chocolate in front of his face, and as he took it he looked up to see fluffy snowflakes falling past the window. Tony sat down on the couch and cuddled right beside Steve.

Tony let out a happy sigh. “This is so cozy.”

“Are you sure?”

“That it’s cozy?”

“No, about me. Are you sure we can risk it?”

“Steve, I’ve gotta say I’ve dreamt of this for a long time. After all we’ve already been through? We honestly have to make up for lost time. Don’t worry, Steve. I’m not going anywhere.”

Steve let out a sigh of relief, and pulled Tony a little closer, and together they watched the snow continue to fall.


End file.
